The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, commonly known as ANZ Bank, is a multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is Australia's second-largest bank by assets and fourth-largest bank by market capitalisation.[2]
Its current corporate entity was established on 1 October 1970, when the Australia and New Zealand Bank (ANZ) merged with the English, Scottish & Australian Bank (ES&A).[3] It was the largest bank merger in Australian history at the time.[3][4] The Australia and New Zealand Bank had in turn been founded in 1951 as a merger of the Bank of Australasia and the Union Bank of Australia, which were established in 1835 and 1837 respectively. ANZ is one of the Big Four Australian banks, along with the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac.
Australian operations make up the largest part of ANZ's business, with commercial and retail banking dominating. ANZ is also the largest bank in New Zealand, where the legal entity became known as ANZ National Bank in 2003 and changed to ANZ Bank New Zealand in 2012. From 2003 to 2012, it operated two brands in New Zealand, ANZ and the National Bank of New Zealand. The National Bank brand was retired in 2012, with a number of branches closing and others converting to ANZ branches.[5] In addition to operations throughout Australia and New Zealand, ANZ also operates in 34 other countries.[6]
ANZ together with its subsidiaries has a workforce of around 42,000 employees and serves more than 11 million customers worldwide.[1][7]
History
19th century
The Bank of Australasia was founded in London in 1835. Its first branch was opened in Sydney on 14 December 1835. It combined with the Cornwall Bank, which was formed in Launceston, Van Diemens Land in 1828.[8] In 1837, Union Bank of Australia was established in London by a group of people including banker George Fife Angas.[9][10][11] The English, Scottish & Australian Bank (ES&A) was established in London in 1852, and opened its first Australian branch in Sydney in 1853. The ES&A bank took over the Commercial Bank of Tasmania
Executive leadership
Chief executives
In May 2025, Nuno Matos, a former executive at HSBC and Santander, succeeded Shayne Elliott as the Chief Executive Officer of ANZ Bank.[77][78]
The following individuals have been appointed to serve as chief executive:
Australia and New Zealand Bank Limited, 1951–1970
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, since 1970
Australia and New Zealand Bank Limited, 1951–1970
Organisational structure
- Australia
- Retail Products
- Retail Distribution
- Commercial Banking
- Wealth (including ETrade in Australia and OnePath)
- ANZ Bank New Zealand
- ANZ Bank
- Bonus Bonds
- Institutional Banking
- Institutional banking
- Corporate Finance
- Working Capital
- Corporate banking
- Economics@ANZ
- Asia and Pacific
- ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank
Operations
Personal banking
Personal banking is one of the largest divisions within ANZ. It provides financial services including banking and lending products to the general public. ANZ serves around six million customers at its Australian branches.[7]
ANZ was the first bank in Australia to offer Apple Pay to its customers.[122]
Institutional banking
ANZ is the largest institutional bank in Australia.[123] It provides financial services to institutional and corporate customers in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. As of 2019, ANZ has around 7,000 institutional and corporate customers, with a total lending of A$165 billion.
Marketing
Advertising
In 2005, an advertisement included two famous robots: Lost in Space robot, and a Dalek from Doctor Who, although the Dalek was replaced in subsequent versions of the ad.[138] In 2006, the company started a TV campaign with a series of ads featuring their new mascot – the Falcon, a bird trained to stop credit card thieves, illustrating the company's measures in prevention of credit card fraud.[139] In April 2024 this marketing strategy was relaunched.[140]
In 2010, ANZ ran an ad campaign parodying common banking scenarios with a fictional character known as 'Barbara who lives in Bank World', a middle-aged, rude, sarcastic and unhelpful bank manager. The adverts have received acclaim for wit and humour, but also criticism for stereotyping bank managers. Barbara is portrayed by Australian comedian Genevieve Morris.[141]
Symbols
Logos
ANZ has had a number of different logos throughout its history. Its current logo was designed by M&C Saatchi, and was introduced in 2009 to coincide with ANZ's ambition to be a major regional bank in the Asia Pacific.[147] The 2009 logo introduces a stylised three-petaled lotus which represents the trinity of Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific, the three core markets of ANZ. The central human shape represents its customers and its people.[147][148]
Seals
Coat of arms
Controversies
Manipulation of benchmark interest rates and other key metrics
In 2016, ANZ and 10 of its traders were named as being the subject of legal proceedings for manipulation of the benchmark inter-bank interest rates in Australia; specifically the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has made claims of unconscionable conduct and manipulation against ANZ.[155][156][157] ANZ has attempted to deny the claims and says it will defend the claim in court.[158] Formal filings of the originating process in these regards were made against ANZ on 4 March 2016.[159] Since that time ASIC has compounded their claim against the ANZ.[160]
See also
- ATM Industry Association (ATMIA)
- Banking in Australia
- List of banks
- List of banks in Australia
- List of banks in Oceania
External links
References
- 2025 Annual Report Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, retrieved 4 December 2025^
- ASX Top 200 Companies ASX 200, Australian Securities Exchange, 28 April 2021, retrieved 26 October 2017^
- 50 years as a brand, 185 as a bank Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, retrieved 8 November 2021